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Wisconsin - State Agricultural Society. 
to specie payments? It can be clone. As to the means to that end, 
we propose a greenback-issue in place of the national bank system. 
And why? Because it is impossible to resume specie payments as 
long as we have such a volume of interest to pay to foreign coun¬ 
tries, which interest is payable in gold. There is no reason why 
this country should not carry our national debt. If this country 
carries our national debt, there is no difficulty to return to specie 
payments. We will say that $800,000,000 is necessary to do the 
business of the country. I ask, is not that a large portion of our 
public debt? Is that amount to be scoffed at as nothing? We 
issue the greenbacks for that amount, and the people carry them 
gladly. Not one cent of interest does the government have to pay 
on that $800,000,000, which at present it does pay. They are re¬ 
lieved of the burden of paying that amount of interest. Let the 
government proceed to take such measures as to draw in the bal¬ 
ance of our bonds in foreign countries. Adopt such a policy that 
these bonds will come back to this country, and be owned in this 
country. Let the interest be payable in greenbacks. Stop this 
gold interest, and then let the people get themselves upon their feet* 
When the country is prostrated; staggering under financial de¬ 
pression; when the laboring man cannot get work; when mechan¬ 
ics all over the country are hearing their chidren asking for bread 
which they cannot furnish, except by borrowing or begging; it is a 
shame for the capitalists of the country to demand that we now return 
to specie payments. Is this generation, that fought out the war of 
the rebellion to bear the whole burden ? With the great elevation our 
country has assumed, strong in every element of greatness, is it 
unreasonable to ask that we should have extensive credit? That is 
all we propose—an extensive credit; and I say the farmer or the 
business-man, haying ten thousand dollars, because he has a note 
coming due at the bank which he cannot meet, should not sit down 
like a craven coward and fear to ask an extension, but would rather 
see his propert}" all sacrificed, and his family ruined, because he 
dare not ask it. Let that idea be followed up. We are only in in¬ 
fancy in this greenback-movement. We are only suggesting. Let 
us study the subject. I would suggest one thing further, and it is 
this, that it is a false assumption to say that the prostration of the 
country results from a depreciated currency. I think if we exam¬ 
ine the causes of the present depression of the country, that we 
